I recently changed the battery and alternator in my 99Z24 and now the battery light and abs light on the dash are both on. The battery will not charge at all and i have checked all conections and cleaned them. I have no idea what is going on. Any ideas??? Any help would be greatly appreciated...

When you say you checked the connections and cleaned them, do you mean on the battery, on the alternator, or both? It sounds like your alternator is not doing its job.

Rob





Sold 2/2/05

I checked and cleaned them on both the battery and the alternator. Yeah i think it is the alternator too but it was just replaced with a new one under warranty cause the other only last 10 months. I really do not know what to do with this problem.

Do you know if they tested the new alternator before installing it? I know it's a long shot, but I have heard of new alternators being DOA.

Rob





Sold 2/2/05

Not sure if it was tested or not. Im going to take it in and have someone run a test on the charging system and see what the problem is. Thanks for your help.

I'm not trying to call you stupid or anything, but did your belt break and fall off??? Anyways yea alternators come DOA sometimes often so have the new one checked out.

Same thing happen to my friends Cavalier at work, His alternator was shot, in which drain all the current out of his battery, Then he went to buy a Atlernator, Hooked it up still had battery light on. We went back to the parts store got another, It worked prefect.
Some times auto parts stores get some things mixed up. Even heard of some times even when connecting the battery post up to the battery terminal could cause the regulator to short out in the alternator,

Hope you gets things fixed

Good Luck

Okay using a DMM do a voltage drop to the alternator from the battery, anymore than .3V is not good.

Is your maxi fuse good?

Using a DMM switch it to AC, and put it on the battery, it will show three different numbers, that is your alternator rectifing the AC voltage into DC, if it is above .50 for any of them it is junk.


- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new

Hi Matt

there is a 14gauge Fusible Link in series in the main "charging" cable from the alternator to the Battery.

Maybe this has blown?

With the engine stopped and key out.

Check the voltage at the positive battery terminal, note it then check the voltage at the Big/Batt terminal on the alternator.
You should get the same reading if the Fusible Link is OK.
If you get nothing or a much lower voltage at the alternator terminal the Fusible link is blown. Or disconnect both ends and carry out a continuity check.
Also check the crimped ring connector on the Alternator Batt terminal and be sure it is mechanically sound- I have seen these damaged when removing other components.

With the engine running you should see 14-14.8 volts at the Battery Positive terminal and also at the alternator Batt/Main terminal. If you only see 14-14.8 volts at the alternator terminal and not the battery the fusible link is blown/cable is open circuited somewhere.

Finally, I would also (with the battery Disconnected) check both the battery negative terminal connector is shiny clean and also the points where it Grounds to the chassis.

Hope this helps


Alont

Hey guys.

I tried everything that you guys told me too and it seems that the fusible link is ok. I had it in to a shop to have a charging system test on it and the result was that the new alternator was faulty. So i got another alternator under the warranty, replaced it, and still same problem. The guys at the shop said that the alternator should start working when it is supplied with between 3.75V and 5.00V, but mine would not start up untill they supplied it with 12 Volts. I am really at a loss her. Any more ideas. Thanks again.

If its already at a shop why don't you just get them to look at it? It's a lot easier to get it done in person then to try and diagnose it over the net.

Its not at the shop. I have it at home. There diagnostic was that the alternator was toast. So i put in a new alternator. Now i have the same problem. And i dont feel like spending another $150 to get them to look at it again.

If their diagnosis was incorrect, then take it back and it should be free since its a comeback